Information Overload: Malware targets financial data

The new trojan, named "OddJob," is able to access customers' online banking accounts after users think they are logged off. OddJob affects Windows-based computers using Internet Explorer or Firefox web browsers.

According to a blog post by Amit Klein, chief technology officer of Trusteer, OddJob keeps banking sessions open after customers think they have logged off, allowing criminals to "extract money and commit fraud unnoticed." The malware, described as a "work in progress," is "designed to intercept user communications through the browser."

OddJob gains access to a user's online banking session by tapping the session ID token, according to the blog post by Klein. A session ID token is used to identify a user's online banking session. Once the hacker has access to this token, they use this data to "electronically impersonate the legitimate user and complete a range of banking operations."

Financial institutions targeted by OddJob include banks in the United States, Poland and Denmark, according to data from Trusteer.

So what can you do to protect yourself from these types of attacks? The advice from Trusteer is to apply software updates, maintain constant vigilance, stay aware of new threats and be prepared to deploy security solutions to defend against these attacks.

CJ Castillo is the interactivity editor for the Victoria Advocate. You can contact her at cjcastillo@vicad.com. Please send all correspondence c/o Victoria Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77902.